Reality Television Taking Over the Airwaves

One look at my DVR and you would know I am a fan of reality television. Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, I Love New York, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Real World....the list goes on. You get the idea. Of course, I also have ER, Law and Order, Grey's Anatomy, and Dexter. This also tells you I appreciate another staple of primetime television, the drama. This brings up one of the hottest debates out there these days- is reality television dumbing down our choices on tv? After all, they are cheaper, easier, and quicker to produce, so the industry can churn out more of them than they can those smart dramas.

I constantly hear people debate about reality tv, and how it is ruining primetime tv. I just don't see it as the demise of primetime television- more as a challenge for it. I love to watch a good reality show, and can appreciate their innovativeness and uniqueness. After all, it appeals to the basic human instinct of voyeurism. It is as though you have found yourself in a diner with a loud conversation going on behind you, and you can't stop listening. It is that moment in the mall where you are sitting on the bench people watching. But what makes reality tv the pinnacle of these things, is you don't have to avert your eyes. You don't have to pretend you aren't listening. You can sit there with your jaw open, amazed, and call all your friends to watch right along with you. There is no guilt or shame in watching these events, because after all, they have agreed to live these moments in their lives before the whole world.

Can there be too much reality tv? Sure, and not all reality tv is fantastic, just as not all dramas are fantastic. But choices are what breeds competition- after all, we don't want the airwaves to be exclusively run by Law and Order and CSI either, do we? What I enjoy is that if I am in the mood for a deep hospital drama, I can watch ER. If I want to watch a serial killer battling with his inner demons, I will turn it to Dexter. If however, I want to see fashion designers competing against each other to win the prize money to start their own fashion line, then Project Runway is my show of choice.

Just as some days you want to wear red, or some days you want iced tea with lunch, you should have choices when you watch television as well. If reality tv doesn't appeal to you, then watch a drama or situation comedy. But if reality tv DOES appeal to you, don't be ashamed of your interest in it. Treat them as any other show, give them a try, and watch the good ones, abandon the bad ones. You are sure to find some great shows, and some real duds!